A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse Part 17

The great motive, to be held forth to induce men to turn from the worship of idols to that of G.o.d, was the certainty of the approaching judgment. In accordance with this, the apostles make constant references to it. The Corinthians are exhorted to "come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. 1:7, 8. As Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled," Acts 24:25. He said to the impenitent Romans, that they were "treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of G.o.d," Rom. 2:5. The first things which were presented in all their teachings were "the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward G.o.d, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment," Heb. 6:1, 2. Thus "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints," Jude 14, 15.

As Christ was to judge the world "at his appearing and kingdom" (2 Tim.

4:1), a reference to his coming always involved a consideration of the hour of his judgment; and his appearing was a great incentive to holiness.

"For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," Phil. 3:20. And "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory," Col.

3:4. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" 1 Thess. 2:19.

"To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before G.o.d, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints," _Ib._ 3:13. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will G.o.d bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord," _Ib._ 4:14-17. "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not G.o.d, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," 2 Thess.

1:7, 8.

Not only the apostles, but their successors, in succeeding ages, have constantly made reference to the judgment, as the motive to holiness.

Beginning in the days of the apostles, the same gospel has been continued by a succession of men to the present time; and those who are now preaching, or who support those who so preach the everlasting gospel, in connection with the warning of approaching judgment, must be regarded as belonging to the same body of men symbolized by the angel flying in the midst of heaven.

Commencing in the apostolic age, sections of the globe were evangelized-in Asia and Africa, that have never received the gospel since, either under the reformers or by modern missionaries. But beginning with the dispensation of the gospel to the Gentiles, its fulfilment is found in China, in Tartary, in j.a.pan, in Egypt, and Ethiopia, and in lands so remote that no one can say it has not been almost universally promulgated.

The Angel announcing the Fall of Babylon.

"And another angel, a second, followed, saying, She is fallen!

Babylon the great is fallen! She made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication!"-Rev. 14:8.

This angel, like the former, must symbolize a body of religious teachers.

The former resulted in the spread of Christianity. This announces the fall of a corrupt hierarchy.

Babylon being regarded as a symbol of the Roman church, her fall must be understood to be her loss of power, as mistress of the kings of the earth; and synchronizes with her displacement from her position on the beast, as symbolized in the 17th chapter. The epoch of her fall, and consequently of the flight of this angel, is that of the Reformation, when the corruptions of the Papal See were first exposed, and it was denounced as the Apocalyptic harlot. The argument for this application is given in the exposition of Rev. 18:1, which is a repet.i.tion of the symbol here given, p. 300.

The Wrath-denouncing Angel.

"And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one worship the wild beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, even he will drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d, which is poured out unmingled into the cup of his wrath; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the wild beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name!"-Rev. 14:9-11.

The cry of this angel synchronizes with the "voice from heaven" (18:4), and follows the discovery of the corruptions of Romanism.-See the exposition of that Scripture, p. 307.

The worship of the beast consisted in a regard for it, equivalent to saying, "Who is like unto the beast? and, Who is able to make war with him?" 13:4. To worship, is to manifest homage and respect. To worship any inferior object, is to bestow on it the confidence and affection which is due only to G.o.d. It is to trust in it, as invincible, able to protect, and infallible in judgment. Thus to regard any civil or ecclesiastical organization, is to subst.i.tute it for Him, by whom the powers that be are ordained (Rom. 13:1), who giveth the kingdom to whomsoever he will (Dan.

4:17), and by whom alone, kings reign, and princes decree justice, Prov.

8:15.

Whenever any civil or ecclesiastical enactment conflicts with the requisitions of Jehovah, that power is worshipped, which is obeyed in preference to the other: "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey?" Rom. 6:16. The worship of G.o.d is incompatible with obedience to any power which compels a violation of His laws. Due obedience to government is commanded, when no question of conscience is involved. When it is, no forcible resistance to the execution of the law is permitted; but while G.o.d is obeyed, the penalty of the law is to be meekly endured.

The early Christians chose death, rather than to deny their Saviour at the command of Jewish Sanhedrim or Roman emperor. When Peter and John were commanded "not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus," their answer was, "Whether it be right in the sight of G.o.d to hearken unto you more than unto G.o.d, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard," Acts 4:19, 20. In like manner, the Christians living at the epoch of this angel, were to be similarly tried, which is implied in the command, not to worship.

So soon as the reformers were placed in direct conflict with the Church of Rome, her anathemas were hurled against all who a.s.sented not to her mummeries. And the power of the civil arm was also brought into exercise to compel obedience to her commands. Those who maintained their integrity, did so in opposition to the requirements of the church and state; while those who submitted to the state as invincible, or to the church as infallible, extended to the beast or its image that homage and regard which was due to G.o.d. They thus acknowledged themselves the servants of him whom they obeyed, and subjected themselves to the wrath of G.o.d.

The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his image. While the righteous enter into rest, the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. 57:20.

The Harvest of the Earth.

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of G.o.d, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Happy the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth! Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their toils; and their works go with them. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one was seated on the cloud like the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him seated on the cloud, Thrust forth thy sickle and reap: for the hour is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he, who sat on the cloud, cast his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."-Rev. 14:12-16.

The announcement that here are they who keep the commandments of G.o.d, implies that, at the epoch symbolized, they are to be the subjects of special notice. By the voice from heaven, they are shown to include all of the dead who have died in the Lord; and their being blessed from thenceforth, indicates that they will at that epoch enter upon their eternal reward.

The "rest" of the righteous, is at the advent of Christ:-"To you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven,"

2 Thess. 1:6. "There remaineth a rest for the people of G.o.d," Heb. 4:9.

On hearing the voice from heaven, the revelator looked, and beheld on a cloud "one like the Son of man." In Ezek. 1:26, "the likeness as the appearance of a man," upon "the likeness of the throne," is explained to be "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." In Dan.

7:13, "one like the Son of man," who comes to the Ancient of days, is evidently a symbol of Christ. In Rev. 1:13, "one like unto the Son of man," is the one who was alive, was dead, and is alive forevermore. The same symbol repeated, must here also be a representative of Christ.

His position on a cloud, indicates the arrival of the period when he is to be manifested in mid-heaven: "Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him," 1:7. "One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him," Dan. 7:13, 14. "And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other," Matt. 24:30, 31.

The epoch of this manifestation, according to the above, is that of the last trump, the second advent, and the first resurrection. "At the last trump ... the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed," 1 Cor. 15:52. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air," 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

His "golden crown" indicates that he is now to take to himself his great power, and to reign, "when the kingdoms of this world become our Lord's and his Christ's," 11:15, 17. Crowns are symbols of sovereignty. As such, they respectively denoted the periods, when the forms of government, symbolized by the heads of the beast (12:3) and its horns (13:1), bore rule. Now the diadem is to be transferred from them, to encircle the brow of earth's rightful Sovereign.

The sharp sickle in his hand, indicates that the time of harvest has arrived; and the act of reaping, the gathering of the harvest. There are two gatherings symbolized, corresponding to the two cla.s.ses of persons who are to be gathered. "The dead in Christ shall rise first," and will be "caught up to meet the Lord in the air," before the wicked are gathered, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. "I will come again, and receive you unto myself," said the Saviour, John 14:5. The Lord of the harvest directs its gathering, but effects it by the instrumentality of angels: "He shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven," Mark 13:27.

When thus gathered, they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, where the Lord of the harvest sits. This is the separation of the righteous and wicked, who were to "grow together till the harvest," which, says the Saviour, "is the end of the world," Matt. 13:39.

Mr. Lord suggests, that it is inconsistent with the dignity of Christ, to be notified by an angel when to begin his work; and therefore dissents from the application of the symbol to him. It may not, however, be necessary to consider the cry of the angel, as one of command. The angel may be a messenger from the Ancient of days, announcing the epoch of the resurrection. Or he may symbolize a body of men, who will be ardently praying for the return of the n.o.bleman to take his kingdom.

The harvest is spoken of in distinction from the gathering of the vine, and in contrast with it. Men harvest what they prize,-their grain and fruits. They do not harvest briers and thorns. They cut or reap both; but the act of reaping is not expressive of the destiny of what is reaped.

This is indicated by the disposition made, and the terms applied; the one is gathered into the garner of the Lord; but the other is given to the consuming fire.

The righteous being caught up to meet the Lord at his coming, the destruction of the wicked, which must precede the regeneration of the earth and descent of the saints, is next symbolized.

The Reaping of the Vine.

"And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over the fire, and called with a loud shout to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and cut off the cl.u.s.ters of the vine of the earth; for its grapes are ripe. And the angel cast in his sickle into the earth, and cut off the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of G.o.d. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the bridles of the horses, for the distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs."-Rev. 14:17-20.

The wicked also are gathered by the instrumentality of angels: said the Saviour, "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth," Matt. 13:40-42. In the parable of the tares, the Saviour said, "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." Thus the tares were to be gathered _first_-not before the righteous are gathered, but before the wheat is placed in the garner: the new earth being the garner where the righteous are _finally_ to be gathered, they cannot be placed there till the wicked have been gathered out. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,"

Matt. 13:30, 43.

The disposition of the vine, its being trodden down, and the great presence of blood flowing, symbolize the awful judgments to overtake the wicked, after the escape of the righteous, when they are gathered into bundles and burned. Thus Isaiah prophesied: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat? I have trodden the wine-press alone: and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come,"

Isa. 63:1-4.